According to an interactive map of TCEQ air monitoring stations posted by the Texas Oil and Gas Accountability Project, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality does not have any air monitoring stations in Lewisville or Flower Mound. The nearest air quality monitoring stations are near 635 and Royal to our South, and on I-35W in Roanoke.
It's not a huge surprise, since neither city is a big Barnett Shale producer yet, but it's interesting to note a very strange comment made by Flower Mound Town Councilman Steve Dixon, explaining his "no" vote on a drilling moratorium in Flower Mound:
"I truly believe there are some wells in the Barnett Shale that are polluting, and I encourage those leaders to issue moratoriums," Dixon said. "If we had data that any of the wells in Flower Mound showed harmful levels, I would have voted for the moratorium."
Since Flower Mound didn't have air quality monitoring, Dixon could not have known whether there was a lack of pollution in Flower Mound. But, the point of a moratorium, of course, is to avoid the possibility of bad things happening. Had Dixon pointed to specific measures that Flower Mound had taken to control emissions from wells in his town, then his statement would have made sense. But lacking that, Dixon seems to be relying on "that can't happen HERE" mentality. Or, as one commenter on the Star Telegram article said it best:
As we all know, the poisonous air in Dish, TX Denton and Wise Counties and all around the rest of the Barnett Shale does not drift anywhere near Flower Mound. They have their own air. It's produced by all the flowers.
Folks, we seem to have pretty compelling evidence that there are large amounts of emissions from gas wells and pipeline facilities. We have evidence that these pollutants cause disease. Given that the Legislature doesn't meet again until 2011, it is left to the cities to stand up and take action to stop dangerous emissions from these facilities.
If you are not sure what emissions we're talking about, take a look at this infrared video taken of a facility near DFW Airport:
We think the TCEQ should add air monitoring stations in Lewisville and Flower Mound. Even though we be on the periphery of Barnett Shale development at this point, we could use a good baseline at the very least. Having better monitoring would give us early warning of acute problems, and would give our elected officials more information to make better decisions. It doesn't take the place of other types of surveillance at well sites, and with local epidemiology, but it helps.
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